Traveling to Climb Around Salt Lake City

I'll be traveling from Wisconsin in the beginning of June.  All of my climbing so far has been at a few climbing gyms in Milwaukee and Chicago.  I'm looking to get a little guidance on where to go for for a days worth of climbing outdoors around Utah.  I'm booking a solo trip to spend some time in the mountains, hiking (I'll take recommendations for this too), and hopefully send it on some real rocks.  My limit is around 5.10 indoor, having done a few 5.11s, but I'm not sure how that translates from a gym to the outdoors.  I've only traveled through Utah, so I'm excited to spend some time checking it out.

If 5.10 indoor is your limit, you'll probably want to start with 5.6 and 5.7 routes.  There are plenty of those easily accessible in Big Cottonwood Canyon.  Ledgemere Logs would be my recommendation for your first couple of outdoor lead climbs, then Reservoir Ridge at Storm Mountain, then go toprope Narcolepsy so you can see how sketchy some of the old-school outdoor 5.7 and 5.8's can get!

The Tinker Toys area in Rock Canyon in Provo has 5.6-5.9 routes, all of which you can easily toprope.  If you can't find a belyer, that's a great easy TR solo area.

Don't expect to climb anywhere near your indoor grade, even on the juggy Big Cottonwood routes.  

If you have time, excursions to City of Rocks or Maple Canyon are well worth the drive.

Brett Verbick wrote:

 I'm looking to get a little guidance on where to go for for a days worth of climbing outdoors around Utah.  I'm booking a solo trip to spend some time in the mountains

It sounds like you would benefit greatly from hiring a guide. While not cheap, you will get your money's worth in experience, local knowledge and skills/confidence for the future. Coming from the Midwest, I think a multipitch in the Wasatch would be a great way to get outside and see the possibilities. Something like Steort's Ridge, Outside Corner in BCC, or Schoolroom, Pentapitch in LCC.

Hey Brett! In my opinion the climbing in Utah that translates the best from the gym is in American Fork Canyon. Hardrock and Serenity would be the best places to start. The climbing is more vertical and juggy. I wish I had started there when I started climbing outside, because for me the 5.7-5.9 slabs in other canyons felt way more nerve wracking just because the style of climbing was so different from the gym. Those climbs also tend to be more old school and run out. 

Unknown 5.6, Rockapella 5.7 and Stoic Calculus 5.8 are all great first outdoor climbs that are all at the Hardrock crag. 

Bushwacked and Out to Gas are 5.9s that may feel pumpy for a 5.10/11- gym climber but they are super fun, easier to read and closely bolted for outdoor climbs.